One foot in School, Another stucks in Uni

Week 2 Practicum
Onehunga High School
Bumi Auckland, Nz.

Reached school early around 8pm. Maybe because there was less traffic. Entered the same classes as last week but with slightly different experience this week. I swear I will never wear my kebaya nyonya to school anymore because it's easily crumpled. Being in school not more than an hour already made me look like I have been in the school for the whole day with an unironed top! Damn it! Stomach not feeling good today.

Nonnette's Esol Class:
The students getting more comfortable with me now I am in my 2nd week in their class (though it's actually the 2nd time), most of them acknowledged me as another teacher in the class by now. Nonnette had to work on some stuff outside the class, so I had to take over her class. Nothing much to do because they were having their writing assessment. So, I just assist them where possible. The assessment was for their NCEA and so I am not supposed to help them. I only helped with words/vocab and make sure the class is under control. This is the assessment that allows them to move on to level 2 NCEA English.

John's Esol Class:
I was welcomed with a bright smile and a great by Joo, standing at the door. I have remembered most of their names by now. This class is very special to me because I can feel greater attachment with them than other classes that I attended.

Some of these angelic, bright little faces:

• Sultan
• Dragon
• Thomas
• Masons
• Joo
• Htoi Auong
• Joana
• Onosai

Sultan: From Saudi Arabia, always trying to look cool. He has a good grasp of the contents taught but still lack of language and vocab.

Dragon: A new students from China. Can't really speak English. Don't even understand simples instructions which made him a very funnly little guy especially with his know-it-all face. By his look, John was always deceived to believe that he understood the lesson/instructions but, by the second he finished his instructions, Dragon would abruptly turn to his chinese frinds for the chinese translated version of the instructions. A very cute hair-cut too...

Thomas: A chinese boy from Malaysia! Haha.. kasi malu saje.. Always off-task, especially when he sat next to Dragon. These 2 should not sit together. A very cute, adorable, friendly boy. Liked to great me in Malay though I can say his Malay was quite rusty! Lol!

Masons: A quiet, chinese, exchange student. He is going back in 2 weeks time. Showed interest in learning the language.

Joo: A very cheerful, happy, energetic, enthusiastic, Chinese girl. Love to laugh and smile. Very friendly. Didnt hesitate to ask questions. Have full attention and participation in class activities.

Htoi Auong: A Vietnamese guy who used to live in Jln. Lok, Johore for 2 years. Hehe.. bangga aku! A very shy and quiet guy. Likes to smile and have the initiative to initiate conversation with me despite of the lack of knowledge in his side. John partnered me with him in one of the class activities today. He portrayed good grasp of the contents and vocabs being taught for the topic.

Joana: Too quiet. Still havent known her that much. She is pretty and tall. Sat alone at one side of the back of the class. She smiled at me this week unlike last week. A good progress, I thought. Didnt really participate in class's activities.

Onosai: A unique and interesting character we have here. He always had his mind somewhere else. Always portrayed something to differentiate him from the rest of the group. Though he wasnt always participate in the class activities, I could sense that he was actually seeking for attention from the teacher. The off-tasking was his way to rebel and gain attention. At some points last week, he would call John to see his work though he knew the answers for all the questions. Maybe he felt left behind because he was the only Pacific Islander in the class and the rest were Asians. He always sits at the very back of the class.

During one of the class activities, when John ask them to find their own partner for pair work, he voiced out without hesitation to John that he wanted me to be paired with him. And so, I moved from next to Htoi Auong at the front of the class, next to Onosai at the back of the class. It was a reading activity. So, I asked him to read and I listened. He could understand the article but his reading was rather poor. After finished reading it the second time, I asked him whether he wanted to go again. And he asked me whether I mind listening to him again. Of course, I dont mind, hun. So I just asked him again, "Wanna go again?" And I was so touched by his answer, "Yes, I want to learn more." By that, he meant he wanted to read again so that he could improve his rading skills. And this time he showed that he made some improvements on words that he mispronunced the first time around. He also asked about me wearing hijab. It was difficult to explain to him because of his low proficiency in English.

All in all, I felt more attachment with John's class maybe because the lesson was less serious and of students from lower year. I felt like being around Malaysian students in a Malaysian classroom when I was around them. Maybe it was because they were second language students just like Malaysian students.

Mark's Mainstream class: The first class was about dictions in poetry. It was a classroom discussion. So, I just sat at the back of the class throughout the whole lesson. Boring... But, if I were a student in his class, I would say I would enjoy being in his class learning poetry rather than learning Shakespears' poems back in Malaysia. Some serious attitude problems he had there in this class. I was so annoyed by the 1st group of talkative human machines in this class.Second class was again a silent reading session. This time the students were given 3 different short stories by Roald Dahl. Again, I didnt have a palce to sit because this class consisted of 32 students. So I had to stand for the whole lesson taking notes and reading the short stories at the back of the class.

Today's experience made me felt more ready to become a teacher. 50-50. I honestly prefer to teach in an ESol/ lower ability classes rather than high ability classes. I love the feeling of attachment with my students because I believe students can learn better when they have better bond with teachers. They will enjoy being the class, feel comfortable to ask questions and made errors along the learning process as they wont feel ashamed of those errors made. Students of these class also valued teacher highly compared to students of the advanced/good classes (personal experience as a student, facilitator, and teacher).

Interesting day. Got home, had my early dinner. Surf the net and slept. Awaken by a txt from shanis at 10pm. Jumped onto my chair and called Zainul. He was sleeping as well. Kuat tidur betul laki aku ni! Asik tidur je...